The Ones and Zeros Job
by MaybeALittleBroken
Summary: When Hardison gets a call from the younger sister of an old friend she directs the team to a little girl carrying a big secret. Clues from obscure Sci-Fi shows and fantasy games lead Hardison through a dark maze of binary. Age of the geek baby. Set somewhere season 5.
1. Chapter 1

"To another victory." Sophie said raising her glass.

"To victory." The team echoed clicking their glasses together.

"But seriously we should do that again." Parker said.

"Never in a million years." Elliot growled, downing his drink in one gulp.

"Maybe next time we could-"

"Noooo."

Hardison's phone rang and he reached into his pocket as Parker continued to argue her case for jumping off of buildings onto store awnings. "Hello?"

"Alec." The voice on the other end said relieved.

"Who-"

"I don't expect you to remember me but you knew my older brother, Johnny. The two of you hacked into the CIA database."

"Ashley ya I remember you, didn't you-"

"Probably yes, but I don't have time to talk right now." The urgency in her voice was odd for this girl he remembered as easy going and relatively quiet. He held the phone away from his ear and put it on speaker. "There's a little girl, 8 years old, blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a Green Lantern shirt, sitting on a bus station bench on the corner of Junior Street and something avenue. Her name is Beth and she is absolutely terrified. Word on the street is that you're part of some crew now that helps people, she needs your help."

"Whoa, slow down Ash." The rest of the crew was looking at Hardison, completely silent now.

"Can't. Remember the name of the alliance you and Johnny had in that game?"

"Tri-"

"Don't say it." She cut him off. "Tell Beth. The first word out of your mouth needs to be that name. She'll tell you everything she can."

"Ashley wai-" He started but the line went dead.

"Something avenue?" Parker asked standing up next to him. "Where's that?"

"There isn't one." Sophie said quietly.

"Did she forget the street name? That doesn't make sense."

"No, she's trying to tell us something." Nate said. He was the only one still sitting, nursing his drink. "She wouldn't let him say the name of his little group either."

"Alliance." Hardison corrected reflexively.

"But she described Beth." Sophie said. "If she was worried about the security of the line then why put those details into it?"

"They must already know what she looks like." Eliot joined the discussion.

"Who's they?" Parker asked looking back and forth between Hardison and the rest of the group.

"Think Hardison think." Hardison mumbled. Ashley wouldn't have just forgotten the street name, she was smarter than that. She was always completely precise and calculated, every single word she said had to mean something_. _Suddenly something clicked in his mind. "15th avenue." He said looking up.

"You sure man?" Eliot asked, "We've only got one shot at this."

"Absolutely, Johnny and I hacked the CIA database on his 15th birthday, Ashley was reading a Green Lantern comic and kept asking questions."

Nate nodded. "To the corner of Junior Street and 15th Avenue."

~~l~~

Ashley hung up the phone and knelt down in front of the little girl. "Beth look at me. Remember the name I told you?"

Beth nodded silently, hugging a teddy bear to her chest.

"Good, just remember that alright? An old friend of mine is coming with a team and they're going to help you."

"What about you?"

Ashley smiled and brushed blonde hair out of Beth's eyes. "I'll be fine."

Beth giggled, "You always say that."

"Yep, and you better believe it too missy." Ashley stuck out her tongue at Beth and then hugged her tight. "Go sit down now love, they'll be here soon."

Beth nodded, "Promise you'll be okay."

"Promise."

Ashely stood and watched Beth weave through a small group of people waiting for the bus and sit down on the bench. Beth glanced up at her, the suns weakening rays and streetlights casting distorted shadows across her face. Ashely smiled sadly at the little girl she had just risked everything to save before turning on her heel and walking away.

The reflection of a black suv in a store window caught her attention and she ducked into an ally. It could just be some random family off to see a movie but it could also be FBI or any number of disgruntled guns looking for the information she'd stolen.

That sensitive info was sitting snug and safe in Beth's pocket all converted into pretty 1s and 0s for Hardison to sort through and decipher. Eventually the shadows of Ashley's past would catch up to her and realize that both Beth and their closely guarded secrets weren't with her. She shivered despite the warm air, that would not be pleasant for her. _At least Beth is safe now, _she thought dragging shaking fingers through her tangled hair. _Please Alec, please don't let me down. _


	2. Chapter 2

Beth's eyes widened beneath the greasy hair that hung in her face as Eliot placed a glass of orange juice and a plate piled with eggs, bacon and perfectly golden hash browns on the table in front of her. She moved forward to eat but then, looking up at the team clustered around her, drew back.

"Go ahead dear," Sophie urged, "It's yours."

Beth studied her warily for a second before her hunger won out. She picked up the fork but dropped it in favor of the more efficient method of using her fingers. She had fallen asleep on the way toward the teams HQ and nobody had had the heart to wake her. Now they waited patiently for her to finish eating to hear her story.

Beth was exactly as Ashley had described her except for one thing, her shirt was in fact a faded grey. Hardison had laughed when he noticed the difference. Ashley was certainly the same arrogant girl she had always been. If he hadn't remembered or paid close enough attention her hints would have gone over his head and there would have been no way they would have found the little girl sitting in front of him. Not that she would have even considered that, tell Ashley Diliges she was gambling and she would only laugh and say it's not gambling if it works.

Beth finished and wiped her fingers and mouth on her shirt. Sophie frowned slightly and looked at Nate. "We need to find her more clothes Nate, look at her."

Nate nodded, "We will. First let her tell her story."

They all looked at the scrawny girl in front of them expectantly. Beth opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, closed it again and then ducked her head staring intently at her dirty hands that rested on the table.

Sophie reached out and Beth flinched back but allowed Sophie to gently cover her hands. "Let's start from the beginning then. What's your full name?"

"Elizabeth," She answered quietly without looking up, "I used to have a second one but I forgot it."

"That's alright. Do you have any parents? Is there anybody who took care of you?"

"Not that I 'member."

Parker pursed her lips and met Hardison's eyes. He knew what she was thinking. What the whole team was thinking.

"Where did you live with no parents?" Sophie asked the question even though they all knew the answer.

"Streets in the beginning but then…" she trailed off.

"You can tell us." Parker said softly. "We're here to help."

"These people came and said they worked for a big company and that they would help. At first they were nice and said all I had to do was to take stuff to places in a backpack and leave it there. I messed up though. They didn't like it when I did that."

Eliot shifted his weight and crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing in anger. Parker curled her hands into fists and Hardison put his arm around her shoulder. Sophie and Nate shared a brief look before they returned her attention back to Beth.

"When did you meet Ashley?" Nate asked changing the subject and getting to the point.

Beth shrugged. "I don't know, while ago. She was nice, I thought maybe she would stop being nice but she didn't. She argued a lot with Matt, that was what she called the guy in charge."

"What did they argue about?"

"Mostly me. She told him to leave me alone. Sometimes it was about money too."

"Do you know why she was there?"

"I asked her and she said she was gonna steal something, but she promised she wouldn't leave me."

"What was she trying to steal?"

Beth extracted her hands out from under Sophie's and reached into her pocket. "Ashley said her brother found it first." She said setting a black flash drive on the table.

"What's on it?" Sophie asked and looked at Hardison when Beth shrugged.

Hardison picked it up and turned to his computer examining it carefully. He plugged the device into the computer and a moment later the screen was covered in an intricate patterns of 1s and 0s.

"What is that?" Eliot asked gruffly.

"It's binary." Hardison answered tapping keys and watching the screen, "But there's something weird about it. If you convert it none of the words make sense."

"So what?" Parker asked walking up behind Hardison. "Is it a code?"

"Well sorta, see Johnny must have messed up each part of the code. If we want to figure out what it means we'll need the key, or keys."

"How many keys are there?" This time Eliot asked the question.

Hardison shook his head, still tapping keys furiously. "There could be one for every word for all we know."

"Ashley told me to tell you that the Most Important Woman would show you how to start." Beth said staring at the Hardison's computer system in awe.

"Wait, what does that mean?" Parker asked turning from one bewildered team member to the next.

Beth shrugged, "She said he would get it."

~~l~~

Ashley pulled her auburn hair back into a high pony tail leaning against a heavily gratified wall in an alley next to some brew pub. The food and drinks here were supposed to be amazing, though technically she wasn't old enough to drink yet. Not that that ever mattered she had more than enough fake IDs saying she was.

Ashley's stomach growled reminding her that she hadn't eaten since the morning the day before. She could go in and eat now that she had money. A few well-placed bumps and trips had won her three wallets in the last hour, though all of them had been empty of any cash besides some sticky pennies so it meant credit cards and identity theft. It wasn't using other people's credit cards that deterred her from her meal it was the cameras. Cameras were bad news, especially with a stolen identity, and from what she could see from her walk past earlier the place had to be full of them.

Sighing heavily Ashley detached herself from the wall and walked down the street away from the pub. She didn't have time to eat anyway because starting in about an hour was a fancy art auction that she had just happened to stumble across an invitation to. That meant an hour to look less 'street rat' and more 'rich businesswoman'. Which entailed finding a shower, decent clothes and makeup not to mention some semblance of knowledge about art.

Usually Ashley stuck to simple in-and-out cons and pick pocketing but the auction had been in Johnny's calendar and there had to be a reason for it. Maybe there she would find the rest of the key and get back to Alec and his mysterious new team.

If she was lucky there would be food at the auction.

~~l~~

**AN- Thanks for reading, I'm starting to think this fic may get a little darker soon soo yaa... sorryish about that. I'll try and update soon but it might be a while because of a project I'll have to do after break. Thanks again for reading and reviewing you guys are awesome.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN-This chapter does get kind of violent and includes an attempted rape. Sorry it wasn't originally this dark but I have issues so this is what happened.**

**~~l~~**

"Hardison you've been staring at the screen for 20 minutes now. Take a break man." Eliot rolled his eyes at the hacker who was still standing in the same place staring at the same things mumbling the same words. Sophie had taken Beth shopping after their earlier _discussion_ and Nate had disappeared, most likely he was drinking somewhere.

"The Most Important Woman." Hardison said ignoring Eliot. "It makes no sense."

"Well think harder." Parker said dropping from the roof in one of her harnesses. "It has to mean something, right?" She looked at Eliot for confirmation. "Right?"

Eliot just shrugged. "Leave me out of this, I don't see any sense in anything this old friend of Hardison's does."

Hardison saw the sense in what Ashley did, she was referencing something. He just didn't know what. Yet. He didn't know what _yet_. But he would figure it out. "The most important woman." He mumbled over and over again.

Parker shared a look with Eliot behind Hardison's back and retreated into the rafters.

"The most important woman where? In the government? In the country? In the universe. In all of creation?" Eliot asked annoyed with the vague clue.

"Wait! Eliot say that again." Hardison practically yelled looking up.

"The most important woman where?"

"No, no that last part."

"In the universe. In all of creation."

"I knew it girl. I knew you were trying to tell me something." Hardison laughed grabbing his keyboard and typing furiously.

"What are you talking about?" Parker asked from the ceiling.

"Donna Noble, the most important woman in the universe. The most important woman in all of creation. Companion to the Doctor and hero to basically everyone, even if she can never remember it." Hardison's fingers danced across his keyboard and soon 1s and 0s began rearranging themselves across the screen.

"Can we read it now?" Parker asked dropping down and making Hardison jump.

"Yeah mama just wait."

The numbers were rapidly changing to words.

"It still doesn't make any sense." Parker pouted when it was finished.

"No it does not." Hardison said quietly, clearly disappointed as he scrolled through the nonsense. "Whatever Johnny got himself and his sister into this time it looks pretty complicated."

"Wait there!" Parker pointed to the screen at a group of words that could actually be called a sentence.

"Portland Landscaping," Hardison read, "makes millions off of suspicious profits."

"13 year old boy found in Portland reservoir #6" Parker read from further down the screen. "Evidence of drug abuse, shot twice in the chest."

"Ellen Norman, Portland Landscape lawyer, found dead in her apartment. Death ruled a suicide by overdose."

"Is it just me or are drugs sort of a thing here?" Eliot said looking over their shoulders.

"Not just you. What did Beth say was in those bags?" Hardison looked away from the screen at Parker and Eliot.

"She didn't." Eliot growled.

"Call Nate, I think we've got our mark."

~~l~~

Ashley was eying the delicate round table covered in fancy deserts across the room from her when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She tried to hide her surprise as she turned around to face a middle aged gentleman in a black suit, her _borrowed_ dress swishing around her legs. His brown hair was graying slightly but he still had a thick, solid build that made Ashley tense despite her efforts.

"Hello miss…?"

"Oh, Miss Laura Roslin, and you would be?"

"Michael Norce."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance Mr. Norce." Ashley wasn't paying much attention to what she was saying. She just let her natural ability of reading people and talking her way around them take over.

"I must say Miss Roslin I didn't know about your involvement with the committee until recently."

Ashley smiled demurely. "My interest was only recent."

Bourne smiled back. "Well dear, I hope you consider donating to our cause, now if you'll excuse me I have some other business to attend too." He motioned toward a group of well-dressed men and women.

"By all means." She watched him walk across the room suspiciously. _It's nothing._ She thought trying to push away her growing anxiety. _This happens to normal people and that's what these stuffed shirts do at these things. It has nothing to do with who you are. They don't know you here._ Too bad logic has no power over anxiety.

Food however proved a useful distraction.

~~l~~

Hardison was standing in front of his array of screens, Parker and Elliot waiting almost patiently for the briefing to begin, when Sophie and Nate walked in. Beth followed closely behind Sophie, her eyes darting through the room before fully entering.

"I see you guys have been busy." Sophie said lightly as she set down the shopping bags that covered her arms.

"Hardison cracked the code like an egg." Parker said proudly.

"Only some of it." Hardison corrected before Sophie could respond.

"Well, let's see what you've got." Nate's tone was all business as he joined Parker and Eliot.

"Portland Landscape has been running for a few decades." A picture of a fancy building with 'Portland Landscape' scrawled along the side in massive, green, cursive letters appeared on the screens.

"Only recently they have started to make a killing in profits that nobody can find the source of. Their work is still quality, prices the lowest, there's just nothing shady or underhanded going on here."

Sophie glanced at Nate and raised an eyebrow that clearly said _but we all know that actually never happens._

"That is until Beth brings us this." Hardison hits a button and articles appear on the screens overlapping each other. "Random, unexplainable deaths with no connection at all to the company, except one thing. All ruled suicide involving drugs, kids from the streets, flat broke college students who've hit rock bottom, a lot of people nobody would miss or find strange that are suddenly dead."

"But they made a mistake." Parker cut in.

"They killed off their lawyer, same everything, even the drugs matched those of the other suicides."

"How many deaths are we talking here?" Nate asked.

Articles moved across the screen and changed places with each other. "Don't know for sure but this goes back almost 2 years and links about 12 deaths. Now the problem. The problem is this guy." Hardison pointed at the screen as a picture of a well-dressed man in his early 40s appeared on the screen. "This guy is Micheal Norse, the CEO of the company and, get this, has connections to about 3 different drug rings in Mexico."

"Guess where those brick things are made they use to make those funny little outside walls."

"Retainer walls, Parker." Eliot said at the same time Nate and Sophie said "Mexico."

"You got that right, Mexico."

"What else you got for us?" Nate asked.

"Nothing." Hardison answered with a shrug. "That's all the key and the internet could yield. If we want more information we'll have to find Ashley, but I think I know where she is."

Nate nodded and Hardison continued.

"Michael is a _huge_ contributor to some art collection. They started an auction about an hour ago, and I checked it out. A Miss Laura Roslin is on the guest list. Going by the rest of her clues that's Ashley."

"So what now?" Sophie asked and everybody turned to look at Nate.

Nate seemed to consider his options for a moment. "I guess we're going to an auction. Sophie and Eliot I want you inside to find Ashley. Hardison can work the security cameras from Lucille. Parker and I will stay here with Beth and run point. Any questions."

Nobody spoke.

"Okay then. Let's go."

~~l~~

There was only one more item left on the list and Ashley still wasn't sure why her brother had planned on being here. The food had been nice but the absence of any new information made the last two hours a waste of time.

A tall, dark haired woman bumped into Ashley and turned to her smiling apologetically. "Sorry." She said with a British accent as she extended her hand. "I'm Zoe Washburne"

"Laura Roslin." Ashley responded shaking 'Zoe's' hand. No way that was her real name.

"Interesting name, though Hardison seems to recall Starbuck being your favorite."

Ashley smiled for the first time in days. Then her paranoia got the better of her, maybe this _Zoe_ was part of Alec's team but her trust was hard to buy and she still didn't know this woman's real name. _"_He would remember correctly but Laura is a much simpler name."

_Zoe _was quiet for a moment as if listening to something. "You sound like your brother. Though Johnny was a loyal Captain Lee fan."

"Alright _friend of 'Hardison'_, what's your real name anyway?"

"Sophie." She answered.

"Now for the last item." The starch man running the auction said from the raised platform in the front of the room. "Van Gogh's Sunflowers."

Ashley's eyes lit up, that must have been what her brother had been after. Her pleasure was short lived, dying quickly when she caught sight of a man watching her over Sophie's shoulder. Tall, blond hair, well-built and with a gun hidden at his ankle. She didn't recognize him but there was a cold glint in his eyes that said he knew her. Bad news, most people who knew her didn't like her.

Sophie noticed the slight change in Ashley's stance, watched the microscopic chances in her expression. "What's wrong?" She asked narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing." Ashley responded, and though her posture and smile changed to echo her words her eyes did not. "Could you do me a favor and bid on that last item?" It wasn't exactly a question.

"Sure but-"

"Thanks." Ashley flashed her a smile and began moving away.

Shifting her way easily, naturally, through the crowds she laughed at jokes as she passed conversations and occasionally joined them. She was always moving toward the door in the back of the room but casually and quietly. Her pursuer was less graceful, pushing through people who pushed back. That would at least buy her some more time.

Slipping through the door Ashley was surprised it was unlocked. They must trust their security system a whole lot. Her eyes skimmed the wall and ceiling as she walked searching for doors without locks or sensors and cameras.

In retrospect she could have told Sophie and asked for help. If rumors held true, which wasn't often but not impossible, 'Leverage' boasted of an accomplished hitter. Not just accomplished, one that could take out ten armed men singlehandedly in less than a minute. It didn't matter now anyway. Hindsight was 20/20 and begging for help wasn't really Ashley's thing.

Turning a corner she caught sight of a security camera and without thinking raised her hand and waved. Cameras always reminded her of her brother, pretty much any technology did. He was always so socially awkward, his emotions skipping across his face making him absolutely rubbish at lying. Computers were his thing. He had some sort of magic touch with any sort of machine.

Ashley on the other hand had always been able to manipulate people. The words and the expressions came natural to her, she could smile like an angel as she slipped your wallet out of your pocket and the rings off your fingers. She was born for cons and pickpocketing but Johnny was always the big brother, never letting her out of his sight. Or rather the sight of his security camera minions. He was always ready with a fire alarm or strategic blackout if things went south, which wasn't often.

Then he left and cameras suddenly became the enemy.

Still she waved. Alec (Or should she call him Hardison now like Sophie had?) could be watching and that thought was a bitter sweet one. Having someone watching her back was something she missed. But could she trust him after all this time? She supposed that was the bitter part of it.

Light and laughter briefly filled the hallway around the corner behind her and she picked up her pace, slipping the extremely uncomfortable and impractical heels off her feet. Why had she forgotten to take them off in the first place? Sloppy getting caught up in memories like that. No matter, her feet made no noise as she ran down the tiled hallway. No alarms went off so she assumed Alec was, in fact, somewhere out there doing his thing.

Ashley didn't know where exactly she was going but forward seemed like a reasonable direction. She was turning corners blindly all the while too aware of the heavy footfalls behind her that were growing closer. How did he know where she was going?

Too close, he was too close. Dodging around a corner a second before he rounded the last one behind her Ashley wrenched open an unlocked door and went into the room behind it without thinking. There wasn't time to think. She was in a small office, unimportant if it didn't have a fancy coded lock like most of the others. It was small too, an empty desk taking up most of the room.

Stepping past it she pushed the cheap plastic blinds away from the windows. Only on the third story Ashley would have risked an ill-advised escape onto the ledge beyond, but it didn't even open.

The door however did.

Ashley turned and pressed her back against the window as he entered. "Leave me alone." Was all she could manage to say, cliché to be sure but she didn't care.

The man shook his head, a smile spreading across his face. "Now come on Ashley, you're smarter than that. At least Matt seemed to think so. You were his little pet." He said coming into the small room and shutting the door behind him. "Wouldn't let the rest of us get a piece of you. Sure the others were fair game, but it was always you everyone wanted, but you were his." There was a lust full glint in his eyes as he moved around the desk to where Ashley was frozen in place. "But he isn't here now, is he? Instructions were bring you back breathing though other than that he wasn't very specific."

He grabbed Ashley's arms and she finally regained control over her fear. She pushed him backwards into the desk and pulled away, almost making it to the door before he grabbed the back of her dress. Stumbling she turned in time to clumsily deflect a punch to her jaw. He threw her backwards into the wall next to the door and wrapped his hands around her neck. Ashley's hands scratched frantically at his wrists as she kicked wildly desperate for air.

Spots were dancing across her vision when he finally let go. Ashley fell to her knees gasping before he grabbed her roughly by the hair and slammed her onto her back.

"Nobody to protect you now. Smart you may be but that won't help you." He hissed pinning her to the ground with his body.

Ashley, only half conscious, didn't answer.

His hands slid up her legs under her dress and she whimpered but couldn't move. Helpless, she was helpless.

~~l~~

Eliot threw open the door and within a second had yanked the man Sophie had said she saw follow Ashley out off of her. Eliot pushed the man away from the door and sized him up. He was strong no doubt but his stance was all wrong and when he ran at Eliot it was clear he was trained a street fighter.

A few well-placed hits and kicks and a final shove into the desk, which broke under his weight, and Eliot had taken care of the man and turned his attention to Ashley.

For a moment he thought she might be dead, but when he stepped closer he saw the small, uneven rise and fall of her chest. "Ashley." He said gruffly, though not unkindly, kneeling next to her. Her face was tilted toward him, her eyes closed. "Ashley?" Still no answer. Mumbling to himself he leaned forward to pick her up.

Ashley's eyes flashed open and something was pressed into his stomach. A gun go figure.

"Ever heard the expression don't bite the hand that feeds you."

"In my experience the hand that feeds you often wants other things." Her voice was shaking but her hand and the gun it held didn't.

Eliot knew he could disarm her easy enough and would have done it too if Sophie's voice had not stopped him. "Don't you dare. Talk to her Eliot, she's terrified."

"I'm a friend of Hardison's." He said figuring that should be enough.

Ashley studied him for a second but eventually clicked on the safety and handed him the gun. "I don't like guns." He tossed it onto the body lying in the wreckage of the desk and helped her to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," She answered nodding slightly, "he didn't- didn't do anything." She looked dazed and lost, her hazel eyes blank and for a moment Eliot thought she was going to cry, but instead she shook her head and stood up straighter. Grabbing her shoes she stepped over the body and walked into the hallway as if nothing happened.

After a last glance around the room Eliot followed Ashley out of the room and found her leaning casually against the wall inspecting her fingernails. Maybe he hadn't given this girl, and Hardison, enough credit. As far as grifting went she had to be at least as good as Sophie if she could play off something like that.

**~~l~~**

**AN- So anyway that's chapter three. Sorry for the wait but now I am done with drama until next year and have that pesky science project out of the way and updates should be more regular. Bonus points for anyone who got the Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica and Firefly references you win *drumroll* the satisfaction of getting a geeky reference because as much as I'd love to give you a new car I am broke. (I have yet to actually watch that show Believe but I read the summary and it sounds like it's probably going to be my next obsession.)**


	4. Chapter 4

"This place is yours?" Ashley asked as she followed Hardison into the Bridgeport Brew Pub. The one she had been standing outside of only hours ago.

"Yeah." He answered, "Why?"

"No reason." She shrugged.

Hardison rolled his eyes, "You always have a reason."

Ashley just shrugged again and looked at the few people eating or drinking around the restaurant. A couple sat in the corner, obviously drunk even though it was only around 1300. An old man was eating at the bar. Another, younger man sat alone at a table holding a menu up in front of his face talking to a black haired waitress.

"Nate." Hardison called and she looked up as a man walked out of a door marked 'employees only'. Nate nodded at Hardison and the others with barely a glance at Ashley. An obvious contrast to the rest of the team. Alec and Sophie had both freaked when she climbed into 'Lucille', demanding an explanation and constant confirmation that she was okay. Even Eliot kept looking at her like she was going to start crying any second, and Ashley was fairly sure she had heard him say "She's fine Parker" once or twice during the drive.

Nate didn't say anything else as they followed him back through the door and through a short hallway into a spacious backroom.

"Ashley!" Beth screamed jumping off the couch and throwing herself into Ashley's arms. "Ashley, Ashley, Ashley!"

Ashley finally relaxed, the carefully hidden tension in her shoulders disappeared as she hugged the little girl. "Beth." She whispered, almost disbelieving. "Oh Beth, love, are you okay?" she asked after a moment, holding the girl at arms length and examining her carefully.

Beth nodded and then gasped, her eyes widening when she noticed the bruise on Ashley's neck. Ashley's hand went to it when she saw Beth's reaction. "It's nothing. I just got in a fight, but you know what?"

"What?"

Ashley smiled mischievously "You should see the other guy."

Beth mirrored Ashley's smile and hugged her again. "Sure you're okay?" she whispered into Ashley's hair.

"Absolutely." She said standing up, but not letting go of Beth's hand as she finally acknowledged the team.

They had watched the reunion silently, though their expressions varied. Sophie was smiling, an underlying uneasiness to her stance. Eliot looked ready to pound someone, again. Hardison was watching Ashley like she was still 10 years old, his arm around a slim blonde girl who was extremely suspicious. Nate was studying Ashley with something between mistrust and pity and she wanted to slap him for it.

Instead she took a deep breath and decided to break the silence. "Thank you, for helping her. I didn't know what else to do."

"Why not go to the police?" Nate asked.

"I think you know well enough why. Money tends to be a pretty powerful motivator, no matter your occupation." Ashley answered evenly.

"Why us?"

"I was in Boston not too long ago and heard some stories. I'm not completely sure what's on that USB either and figured Alec would be of some help."

"Wait, where's Johnny?" Hardison cut in.

"Six feet under last I checked." Hardison opened his mouth in shock but Ashley's tone was matter of fact without the slightest hint of emotion. "He encrypted the information, and even though I've managed to find out most of what's probably on that for myself I need the proof."

"I think we need to start at the beginning." Nate said taking back the charge of the conversation.

The team moved further into the room and sat down. Beth sat on Ashley's lap and Ashley wrapped her arms around her protectively as she began from the beginning.

"Johnny was working for that landscape company, had been for a few years, when out of nowhere he's found dead in his apartment. When I showed up for the funeral I noticed something," she paused momentarily, "_off _about the company." There she stopped, twisting a silver ring around her right index finger.

"What did you do?" Nate prompted.

"Same thing Johnny did apparently. I wanted to know what was going on. He went in through his computers and every ounce of proof he took and coded just in case. I just walked in and took it, with a few complications obviously, but I don't know how to decrypt it. He left clues but I'm not sure- It's been- I mean we haven't exactly-" She stumbled over what to say before ending with a frustrated sigh.

"You don't know what he's trying to say." He supplied.

Ashley just nodded, hugging Beth tighter.

Sophie noticed Ashley's discomfort and nudged Nate with her elbow before he could open his mouth to ask another question. "Let the girl have a break, clean up some. She's already been through enough for now."

"Fine." Nate grunted.

"I have clothes that might fit you if you want to change." Sophie said standing.

Ashley slid Beth off her lap and followed the older woman to a table half covered in bags from numerous clothing stores. She managed to find a pair of dark, dressy jeans and a royal purple shirt that was almost casual.

"You can change in there." Sophie said pointing to a door that lead into the bathroom. Ashley nodded her thanks as she crossed the room and pushed the door open.

Slipping out of her dress she kicked it away from her feet and pulled on the jeans and shirt. She knew they were talking about her out there, but she didn't care. Or at least she tried to convince herself she didn't.

She stepped to the sink and splashed water on her face to remove the makeup. Concentrating Ashley could hear their muffled conversation above the water.

"She's not telling us everything." Nate's voice was saying.

"I don't trust her." Ashley didn't recognize this voice so it must belong to the blonde, Parker.

"Okay, so maybe she's not telling us everything, but would you want to go into details?" Of course Alec was trying to defend her.

"Nate's right." Eliot jumped into the conversation. "You've said it yourself, she's a grifter. The girl could be lying to us about everything. The way she's been acting since the auction isn't normal. Nobody should be that okay."

Ashley paused for a second. _Am I okay? _ There seemed to be no feeling either way.

"Even when she mentioned her brother it was so… unemotional. But I don't think she's lying, at least if she is I haven't picked up on a tell." Sophie said quietly.

"Maybe she isn't even lying." Hardison said exasperated, "Ashley hasn't given us any reason so far to distrust her."

"Are you even considering the fact that she might not trust _us._" Nate's tone was all business. "If she doesn't trust us she's a liability."

Did she trust them? Maybe with a little convincing she could trust Alec, but did she trust the others?

Ashley looked up sharply, water dripping from her nose as she caught sight of her reflection. The eyeliner and mascara had smudged only slightly under the effects of plain water but the heavy foundation, cheap lipstick and eyeshadow had come off easy enough. Now you could see the bruise on her cheek, though it wasn't as recent as the one on her neck. Without the mask of makeup you could also see how tired she was. Maybe she should have left it on. _No, _Ashley thought,_ let them see it. Let them see some vulnerability and maybe they'll trust me, even if just a tiny bit._

Drying her hands and face quickly on a towel she pulled the door open and all conversation outside stopped.

"Your face." Sophie gasped and then quickly added, "That bruise, how did you hide that?"

Ashley smiled slightly, "I can turn myself into a pretty convincing werewolf too." Then realizing the offhand comment might not be exactly appreciated continued. "I took a drama class in high school and learned a few tricks. Enough makeup can hide anything." That at least seemed to placate most of them.

Ashley sat back down next to Beth who was still sitting on the couch, seemingly engrossed in a book. Beth may have been only eight but she had learned well enough that looking busy made all the difference between a slap and a bullet. She had heard the whole conversation about Ashley.

"How much of our conversation did you hear?" Nate asked Ashley bluntly.

"The part about you not trusting me." She answered honestly. "So pretty much all of it."

Nate nodded before continuing. "We know it's a drug operation but I need more detail on how this works before I let my team get involved."

Ashley raised an eyebrow at Nate's totalitarian remark but answered his question. "It's pretty simple actually, smart but simple. The problem isn't getting the drugs across the border because they come across in supplies for the company. The issue is distribution. That's where Beth and the others came in. They take the drugs in backpacks usually, leave them in parks or buildings away from cameras and the recipient picks them up."

"Why do you say others?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said Beth and the others. What about you?"

"Nate." Sophie hissed disapprovingly but Ashley just shrugged. "It's a fair enough question. I was a little higher up in the food chain."

Now it was Nate's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"What? It pays to be smarter sometimes, not as much grunt work. Besides it's easier to keep the peace when you're closer to those that wish to disturb it."

"Keep the peace?" Nate said slowly, as if the words were utterly new to him.

"Keep people from getting shot mostly."

"You didn't seem to do such a great job." Parker blurted out.

"Parker!" Sophie, Eliot and Hardison yelled at the same time. Ashley's eyes widened slightly and she started messing with her ring again but she made no other sign that she had heard the outburst.

Nate just seemed to consider this before continuing. "What happened to the kids that did get killed?" He asked, his tone softer than it had been previously.

"You have to pick your battles Nate. Taking one bullet for someone doesn't do any good when the gun is fully loaded." Ashley answered without missing a beat. "And I've only been here for a year or so."

"A year?" Alec jumped in before Nate could continue. "You've been here a year and you're just now coming for help."

"I didn't need it before."

"Seriously," Hardison was almost yelling now, "At least six people have died since you've been here, and look what just happened to you and you act like this is all _normal_. A year. A year of this, whatever _this _is, and you just now need help."

"I didn't even know you were here before, and I didn't have any proof, not to mention not dying tends to get in the way of social visits." Her tone was cold yet she was still eerily calm.

"You always do this. You think you can do everything by yourself and then you get in too deep and you won't admit that you're drowning. Why can't-"

"Hardison," Nate yelled silencing the younger man, "enough. What exactly do you want us to do?" Nate asked turning his attention back to Ashley. _Was this man ever anything but serious?_ "If you already have the information what else do you need?"

"The rest of the key." Alec answered for her.

Nate shot Hardison a look that told him clear enough to keep quiet. "Okay, how do we find the rest of your brother's key?"

"I'm not exactly sure." Ashley said quietly knowing where this was going but not having the right answers to stop it.

"Then I don't think we can help you." Hardison started to protest but Nate held up his hand. "You can stay here for the night if need be until you can make arrangements for yourself and Beth, but that's the best we can do." Nate stood signaling the discussion was over despite his colleges various noises of disagreement but Ashley wasn't going to let him off the hook that easy.

She stood up and stepped in front of him, blocking his path to the door. "The only reason I came here was because I was desperate. If you think Beth is the only one then you are so sadly mistaken. I don't need a place to stay the night. I need help. You don't trust me and I truly understand that, but if you think I'm just going to walk away from this then you're wrong. You don't walk away from this stuff. You run and you never stop running, and I'm not going to run to save my own sorry ass when I can help someone else." That said she turned, grabbed a pair of black boots out of one of the bags as she passed the table and walked to the door.

"You are not going back there." Hardison yelled after her.

"I came for your help not your permission, and dammit Hardison I wish you would have at least given me one." With that she was gone, pulling on the boots as she walked.

The team stood motionless as Ashley walked through the restaurant and out onto the street. Hardison was still stunned she had called him by his last name. Never once had she ever done that in his memory.

"You're not going to let her go back there and get herself killed, are you?" Sophie asked. Her voice a plea.

"She made her choice." Nate said simply as he reached for a bottle of whiskey sitting on the table.

"Ashley." Beth whispered before bursting into tears.

"Nate." Eliot growled as Sophie tried to console the little girl. "You are not doing this."

"She's dangerous to the team." Nate said, still completely unfazed.

Beth pushed Sophie away from her and started to scream. Parker jumped forward and gently nudged Sophie away so that she could try to calm down the hysterical child.

Eliot shot one deadly look at Nate and took off after Ashley without another word.

Hardison still hadn't moved.

~~l~~

Ashley half stumbled into the street mentally kicking herself. She could have handled that so much better. Not that it mattered anymore, it had happened like it had happened and she couldn't go back. She seemed to tell herself that a lot.

"Watch where you're going." A tall blonde woman in eight inch heels hissed when Ashley almost stepped on her yapping Chihuahua.

"Sod off." She pushed past the woman and kept walking. The sky said rain and Ashley had to doge hurrying pedestrians in her journey towards the wrong end of town.

"Ashley." Eliot shouted from behind her. She ignored him. "Ashley, I can't let you go back. They'll kill you and you know it." Eliot grabbed her arm and she shook him off. "He won't kill me."

"How can you be sure?"

Ashley stopped suddenly and turned to Eliot, her eyes dark. "The connections might be Michael's but Matt is the one who makes it all work. He's a smart man working with a bunch of idiots and he wants someone to notice. Well I notice."

"I can't let you go back." Eliot repeated.

"Can't stop me either."

"Try me."

Ashley smirked, "What are you gonna do? Drag me back and tie me to a chair? The longer I'm gone the worse it'll be for me when I go back. Not if, when."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"Okay." Ashley turned and continued walking.

"No argument?"

"Hey, it's your funeral. I can't make you go back either."

"If I'm going in there you need to tell me what's going on."

"I don't _need _to tell you anything."

"Ashley." Eliot's tone was a warning. He was seriously considering the chair idea.

"Look, just don't get yourself killed."

"Isn't that your job?" he took the cheap shot.

"Yeah, well your friend Parker had it right when she said I wasn't doing so well lately." Something different had crept into Ashley's voice. She sounded tired and less arrogant than she had before. Less confident too.

"You can't blame yourself for that." Eliot's voice was softer.

Ashley just smiled sadly but didn't reply.

"Are you okay?" Eliot asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't know, probably not." She looked up at him, searching his expression carefully before continuing. "You don't have to come. You have your team to protect and I get that. Nate wasn't wrong when he said I was a liability because honestly I don't think I trust any of you. I can't promise you anything."

"I know." Eliot answered simply.

"Okay."

Neither of them said anything else as the crowds of people started to thin and those that were left eyed them suspiciously from the shadows. Ashley knew where she was going and Eliot followed her lead, watching as her whole demeanor seemed to change. When she had talked to the team she had been confident yet proper and only a moment ago she had been a tired girl a little over her head. Now she walked with her head up but her shoulders loose. Everything about her screamed confidence but not arrogance. Someone scared was an easy target and someone arrogant was just asking for a beating, Ashley was neither. Eliot was impressed at her complete neutrality and she knew it.

"Company." Eliot said under his breath when a stocky man walked out of an alley toward them.

"Who's your friend?" The man asked gruffly.

"None of your business, Eighteen." She answered curtly and suddenly there was an authority to her stance. Eighteen hated being called that but Ashley found it easier to identify Matt's people by number instead of name considering they were all quickly replaced. "I came to talk to Matt not his henchman."

"I can't let him in and you know it."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Fine, Eliot can wait out here."

"No." Eliot grabbed Ashley's arm to keep her from moving.

"Eliot let go." She enunciated every word perfectly.

"You are not-"

"Don't you dare tell me what I can or cannot do."

"Fine." He let go of her arm and she walked past Eighteen without another word.

"Honey, I'm home." She called pushing open the door and walking into the decrepit building.

"You're late." Was all Matt had to say. He was leaning against the wall across the small room. Ashley forced herself to look at the star of her nightmares. His black hair was greasy and his clothes were in desperate need of a wash. He was taller than her by about a foot and stronger by far.

"Only two days."

"Where's the little girl?" he asked moving from the wall to stand in front of Ashley.

"_Beth_ is safe."

"I suppose she has that nonsense your rotten brother found."

"She does, but it's no use to anyone. Johnny encrypted it all."

"And you're back here again. How nice." Ashley refused to move as he stroked the bruise on her cheek softly.

"I'm not stupid."

"I know you aren't but sometimes, sometimes you do very stupid things. Like leaving to save Beth." He practically spit the name at her. "Like taking that information. Those were both two stupid things. Then you came back, that was a smart thing, but you came back empty handed and with a stranger. That was extremely stupid." Matt slapped her across the face.

"Let me explain." She begged putting a hand up before he could hit her again.

Matt considered this for a moment. "Fine."

"Eliot's smarter than them, he's a hit man. Exactly what you were looking for."

"And what, you just happened to stumble onto this alleged hit man after running off? I don't believe you." Those words sent chills down her back.

"You wanted me back and the word got out. I didn't find him so much as he found me."

Matt considered this. "If you're lying to me…" He let the threat hang in the air but Ashley knew exactly what it meant. He stepped past her to the door and called to Eighteen. "Let him in." Then he turned to back to Ashley, "Why don't you go do something useful while this Eliot and I have a chat."

~~l~~

**AN- So there's that... Last day of school is tomorrow (well technically today w****ow do I need to sleep****) and I'm not sure what my summer schedule is quite yet but I hardly have a social life so I will still update semi regularly. As always thanks for reading you guys are amazing.**

**CaptianObvious7412- Thank you so much your review like made my month because that's something I'm always worried about. I'm not so sure I did well with the characters in this chapter but I try.**

**Cupcake- Still haven't watched Believe but it is definitively on my list, thank you for reading and the new obsession.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you serious Nate?" Hardison turned on Nate the second the door shut behind Eliot. It had taken his mind a moment to properly process the situation but once it had he was more than angry. "You knew she was going to do that didn't you?"

Nate paused in his drinking, the glass halfway to his mouth. "Think about it Hardison. Look at how she acted and tell me she didn't know exactly what Eliot would do if she just walked out like that."

"So she knew Eliot would follow her, big deal. I told you she was smart."

"Exactly." Nate sipped from the glass and watched as Hardison finally put it together.

"She's still going to get herself killed." He continued to argue despite Nate's logic.

"Now she's dragged Eliot into it too." Sophie said giving Hardison a pointed look. "We need to get him out before this gets worse."

"I think she knew exactly what she was doing the whole time she was here." Parker spoke up from where she was sitting on the couch trying to calm down a sobbing Beth. "I don't like her."

"You think she was lying to us?" Hardison turned on her feeling completely betrayed by his team.

"Well, look at everything that has happened since the beginning of this." Nate leaned forward and stared directly at Hardison. "First the phone call when she begged you to help. She brought up multiple memories from your past where she was the innocent girl you remembered. She could have stayed with Beth from the start but instead left her with us alone to tell the story because we would be more likely to believe a little girl. Then there is the auction that she led us to and was attacked at, leaving us with someone who obviously needed help but refused to take our pity. She left out as many details as possible when going over what she needed help with and stayed calm until it was completely obvious the only way to get help was to make a scene. I'm not saying she was lying, but she was playing us from the start." Nate's eyes bored into Hardison as he finished.

"Look, I know Ashley. She isn't the type to-"

"She is a conman, Hardison. You said yourself what a brilliant kid she was. She is using your memories against you. I don't like it when people aren't open about jobs and she barely told us anything she didn't have to."

Hardison sat down on the other end of the couch, completely deflated.

"What are we going to do about Eliot?" Sophie turned to Nate.

"He might still have his com." Parker added. "He put it in his pocket after they got back with her." She refused to say Ashley's name.

"If he still has it with him we might be able to track him." Nate looked at Hardison.

"What? Oh you're lookin at me now. What if I don't want to help?" He pouted.

"Hardison." Sophie was appalled. "You are not going to risk Eliot's life because you're mad she tricked you."

"I'm not mad she tricked me, I don't think she tricked me. I'm mad you can't trust me."

Sophie threw her hands up. "You are ridiculous." She turned her back on him and made a face at the wall.

"Hardison, you will track Eliot's com." Nate commanded.

Hardison stood up grumbling and began to work his computer magic. He didn't look at anyone.

~~l~~

Eliot shouldered past the man Ashley had called Eighteen and walked toward the door. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his earbud and, aware of Eighteen's eyes still on his back, feigned scratching his ear to slide it into place. "Nate?"

"Eliot!" Parker's voice screeched in his ear followed by Nate's more businesslike tone. "Eliot."

"Look man, I don't know exactly what's going on yet but I'm not coming back and you _cannot_ follow me." He had known the second he left that Hardison would be able to track him wherever he went.

Nate paused for a moment considering this. "Alright, but you stay in contact with the team the entire time." If Eliot wasn't going to come back willingly it would only be putting someone else at risk to just walk in there without a plan.

"Understood." Eliot mumbled opening the door.

The room was small and dingy, a bare bulb hung from the ceiling but there was nothing in it except Matt. The two men took a moment to size each other up. Eliot could tell that Matt had more training than the man he had faced in the auction the same way Matt could tell there was some legitimacy to Ashley's claim.

"I'll get to the point." Matt started the conversation. "Ashley says you're a hitman. Now, she has a bad habit of lying so if you're not then you can walk away and I'll just thank you for returning my property."

Eliot bristled, a sliver of his anger belonged to Ashley for blindsiding him with this hitman thing. The majority of his anger was for the man who stood before him. "She aint lying." He said, trying to disguise as much anger as he could.

Matt smiled. "That's a first. Come with me and we can talk about this over a drink." Without waiting for a response he opened the door and walked into the room beyond. Eliot followed.

This room was large, showing the previous use of the building as a warehouse. A huge, heavy canvas curtain cut the room in half, obscuring everything to his left. The visible side had been turned into a bar. A few thickly built men were drinking down at one end. Ashley was sitting on makeshift counter near the middle talking to a younger, black haired girl. Eliot watched her for a moment. She seemed to reassuring the girl, handing her a glass of water and taking her half empty bottle.

"Ashley," Matt called across the room, "pour me and my new friend a drink."

She flashed a smile and hopped off the counter. "And you thought I was fibbing." Her whole personality had changed again. Her confidence was again obvious and even more pronounced by a playful smile, her eyes danced and her movements were fluid and light. Setting two glasses on the counter she reached under it for a bottle. When she poured it was with a practiced ease and a sense of detached boredom.

"I never asked whose unfortunate corpse you took these clothes off of." Matt said upon reaching the counter as she handed him his drink.

"Not a corpse, just a first floor apartment with open windows." She slid Eliot his drink as he sat down at one of the stools. He was both impressed and suspicious of the way the lie slid smoothly and wondered if she had given it any thought beforehand.

"An apartment that was more gifted than you in some respects." He pulled at the bit of extra material over her chest and Ashley swatted at his hand.

"Don't be rude you have a guest." She laughed moving back to the girl a few feet down.

"So," Matt turned back to Eliot, "I have a job for you, a few actually if the first goes well."

"I don't kill kids." Eliot growled remembering the files Hardison had found.

"Nobody's asking you too, I have the idiots for that." Matt nodded his head toward the men. "This requires more than one brain cell."

"Eliot calm down." Sophie said quietly in his ear sensing his flaring anger.

"You're in a nest of vipers you can't freak out and go hulk." Hardison added. So the whole team was listening.

Eliot opened his mouth to say something but the girl Ashley was talking to threw her glass to the floor and burst into tears.

Matt looked up sharply, his features darkening as he stepped toward the girl. Ashley swung her feet over the counter and dropped down to stand between them. Eliot stood up but Ashley glanced at him and shook her head almost imperceptibly. Turning her attention back to Matt she held out her hands, palms up. "I've got this."

"You better." He grunted.

Ashley grabbed the girls arm firmly and pulled her off the stool quickly, without a word.

"And clean this mess up." He yelled as Ashley ushered the girl across and out of the room.

The door had just shut behind the two when it opened again to reveal another man built like the others. Thick and dim. "Matt." He called without a glance at Eliot. "Problem."

Matt swore. "We can discuss the details later. Feel free to help yourself to whatever, the girls included." He winked. "Or the boys if that's what you're into." He motioned to the other men as he left and they followed him out of the room.

"Son of a bitch." Hardison said slowly as Eliot watched Matt leave.

"I want to kill him." Eliot growled setting down his own glass so it wouldn't end up broken on the floor like the other one.

"You'll get your chance." Nate said, "Find Ashley first. If you're going to help that girl you deserve answers."

Eliot was saved the trouble of looking for her when she walked back in only a few minutes later to clean up the glass.

"Thanks for the warning." He practically yelled the second the door was closed behind her.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly grabbing a dirty rag from the counter and kneeling down next to the mess. Ashley was almost surprised at the softness of her own voice but she didn't feel like arguing, she knew she was wrong. Getting defensive would only make the situation worse.

He faltered for half a second, her quiet acceptance throwing him off. "A little warning would have been nice."

"I'm sorry." She repeated as she swept the glass into the rag carefully. "I didn't mean to I just panicked."

Eliot's eyes hardened but the anger behind them wasn't meant for her. He could guess the reason behind her panic, even if her voice and body language gave away nothing. Matt was not the type of person to wait for an explanation if his reaction a few minutes ago said anything.

"That poor girl." Parker whispered. "She just glosses over it, doesn't she?"

Ashley paused for a moment debating whether or not she should say what was on her mind. "Hardison thinks I'm some sort of genius," she said finally, "him and Johnny thought I was brilliant, but in all honestly I'm not. I don't think, I react. I'm not calculated or even remotely consistent I just," she sighed, "I don't even know. But somehow all of it works. I've never been sure whether or not that makes me better or worse." She couldn't even piece together how this whole day had happened. Every movement she had made and every word she had said was impulsive and yet somehow it had worked. Her whole life just seemed to run on one impulse decision after another.

"Ashley, I need you to tell me everything. I mean it this time, everything."

"I don't know how." She stood up and set the cloth wrapped glass on a stool.

Eliot narrowed his eyes. "Ashley."

"I'm serious. What I told your team is really all I could manage. I don't think about the details or the hell it is being here because I can't. I don't know what to say about any of it. But I can tell you what Matt wants you to do." Her eyes danced with the secret. "And what a job it is."

~~l~~

**AN- Once again thank you for reading and please review and I will love you forever. That is all.**


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